New Vogue Health Initiative: No More Skinny Models

The 19 International editors of Vogue have banded together to hopefully end the epidemic of anorexic and underage models.

Vogue Italia posted a new manifesto that claims that Vogue editors will not “knowingly” use models under the age of 16, nor will they use models who “appear” to have eating disorders.

This is all in a new attempt to hopefully create a healthier body image for the girls in the pages of Vogue and it’s readers.

This is all fine and dandy but designers really need to get rid of the “sample size” to ensure that girls who are larger than a double-zero size are “allowed” to model the top brands.

Just to put a double-zero into perspective, Victoria Beckham is like a size 4 and we all unanimously agree that she is super thin and has a totally hot bod. A double-zero is like a pixie stick, hence the reason why designers cast 13-year-olds to model their brands, because they have zero-percent body fat and spaghetti arms.

The first part of the agreement is that casting directors working for Vogue MUST ID the girls to ensure they are at least 16. For any girls who are under-age, Vogue plans to “help structure mentoring programs where more mature models are able to give advice and guidance to younger girls.”

As for the unhealthy-skinny issue, Vogue is simply encouraging “designers to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models.”

There are currently no repercussions or punishments for ignoring the new rules of the manifesto, but it’s at least a step in the right direction.

UPDATE:

The Parents Television Council is thrilled with Vogue for taking a stand against unhealthy, young models. Statement from PTC President Tim Winter on Vogue publisher Conde Nast announcing the magazine will no longer feature models 15 years of age and younger. The publisher also pledged not to employ models who appear to have an eating disorder:

The Parents Television Council today applauds the decision announced by Vogue Magazine publisher, Conde Nast International, not to use under-aged models or models who present an unhealthy body image. We hope this is a giant first step on the part of all media to reduce and ultimately eliminate images that sexualize young girls, or that promote an unhealthy, unrealistic body image. In recent years PTC research has exposed a troubling trend among broadcast and cable television programmers to sexualize teenaged girls; to show them more frequently as victims of violence, including sexual violence; and to depict them as vicious backstabbers who denigrate and degrade each other and themselves. Normalizing such behavior in the media poses serious, long-term harm not only to women and girls but to everyone. These trends must be reversed if we are to truly value the qualities of every girl. Today’s announcement by Vogue is an important first step in the right direction.